Tommy Castellanos was recruited by Florida State — just not as a quarterback.
When he played at Boston College against FSU in September 2023, he nearly pulled off a stunning upset against an FSU defense that was one of the best in the nation. Castellanos was just weeks into being a starting quarterback, and months removed from transferring from UCF, when he completed 20 of 33 passes for 305 yards, a touchdown and an interception while picking up 95 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 31-29 FSU win.
"I took it personal," Castellanos said on Tuesday in his first interview with media who cover FSU. "I had that chip on my shoulder from when I wasn’t recruited out of high school. I just took it out there to the field and really showed what I could do."
A year later, Castellanos and BC thumped FSU 28-13 inside Doak Campbell Stadium. Castellanos had two TD passes and a rushing TD in the victory.
The quarterback also said he prefers to be called Tommy over Thomas. Below are some takeaways from what Castellanos said on Tuesday.
Updates, videos: Castellanos, Luke Petitbon and Squirrel White
FSU was his 'dream school'
Castellanos is from Waycross, Ga., just under three hours northeast of Tallahassee. He has had a few family members who went to FSU, including a cousin with a familiar name: FSU tailback Devonta Freeman.
"I’ve had that interest since I was a kid," Castellanos said of FSU. "I have family that went here. It’s been my dream school so just excited to be here and be a part of this team."
Familiarity with Malzahn's offense
Castellanos wanted to be at FSU. But the hiring of Gus Malzahn as offensive coordinator certainly helped. Castellanos spent his freshman year at UCF in 2022, completing 9 of 16 passes for 75 yards in five games.
There are clear similarities between Mike Norvell's offensive philosophy and Gus Malzahn's. And UCF has successfully, and consistently, run the ball as a top-10 offense the last three years. What does a Malzahn offense look like?
"It’s an offense that is going to be explosive, going to be high tempo," Castellanos said.
He praised Malzahn as "a great leader, great coach. We had a great bond when I was there. I’m excited to be back with him."
Leaving BC behind in November
BC coach Bill O'Brien benched Castellanos on Nov. 12 in favor of another quarterback, Grayson James. O'Brien told reporters that Castellanos "wasn't real thrilled" with the decision and that he left the team before eventually entering the transfer portal.
Castellanos was diplomatic in reflecting on his decision to leave before the season ended.
"I would just say unfortunately things didn’t happen the way I wanted them to happen," Castellanos said. "Unfortunately, a lot of the things that were out there are not true. But that’s past me now.
"I’m here now. I’m a part of something special. I’m a Seminole. My main focus now is just leading these guys and trying to turn this thing around and help this community and this fan base bring back the excitement that everyone is used to."
Building bonds
Castellanos was asked about his bond with teammates, and he smiled at a question about Duce Robinson. The quarterback called Robinson "an amazing friend."
He spoke often about building bonds with his new teammates and the importance of chemistry and its impact through time off the field on January and February.
"Our bond is already so tight and our chemistry is so good," Castellanos said. "If you don’t have a chemistry or bond off the field or outside of the locker room then you don’t really have one on the field. You have to be able to demand and respect each other and trust each other on the field."
What gave him confidence in FSU?
FSU was Castellanos' dream school. But coming off a 2-10 season, and entering his final college season, did Castellanos have doubts in coming to Tallahassee? He says no.
"I’ve seen it happen before," Castellanos said. "I know what kind of excitement this fan base and this community brings just by even playing here or watching. This is an exciting place that loves football and really cares about their guys and their players.
"I just wanted to be a part of that. I just wanted to come back, down south, closer to home and be a part of something special."
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